Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest carmaker, announced Italian executive Antonio Filosa as its new CEO on Wednesday, replacing Carlos Tavares, who stepped down last year under pressure.
Filosa, currently Stellantis’ chief operating officer for the Americas and chief quality officer, will start as CEO on June 23 and is expected to reveal his leadership team then.
This change puts the leadership of Stellantis, formed in 2021 by merging France’s PSA Peugeot and Italy-US carmaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, back in Italian hands after three years under Tavares, who was formerly Peugeot’s top executive. John Elkann, heir to the Fiat founding Agnelli family, stays on as chairman.
Elkann praised Filosa for his “deep understanding of our company, including its people, who he views as our core strength, and of our industry.”
Car ShowroomsRobert Peugeot said the board chose Filosa unanimously, calling him a “natural choice” because of his strong leadership and knowledge of the business and “the complex dynamics facing our industry.”
Filosa began his career at Fiat in 1999 and spent much time in Latin America. He held roles from plant manager to head of purchasing and later chief operating officer. He helped make Fiat the market leader in the region and increased the market share of Peugeot, Citroen, Ram, and Jeep brands.
In 2024, he was promoted to chief operating officer of the Americas during a leadership change as sales fell in North America, the company’s main profit source.
Stellantis has been slow in moving to electric vehicles and faces tough competition from China. Analysts say the company, with 14 brands, struggles because of too many under-performing brands, including Maserati and Chrysler.
